Akumal Trip Report
Oct 21st, 2004, 10:07 AM
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Akumal Trip Report
Just got back from a week in Akumal. I had not done any research into this trip and really did not know what to expect. My husband said it is time for a vacation so I booked one. Our considerations,
1.ease to and from Denver, 2, cost, 3, diving. That was it, anyplace would do. In about 3 hours I had booked the trip. Airfare non stop from Denver to Cancun on Champion air 250.00 per person with taxes and fess, condo through VRBO, 2 bed 2 bath on Half Moon Bay in Akumal 400 for the week, While we did not need a 2 bedroom the price was right, car rental from Budget 137.00.
Arrived on Wednesday at about noon, immigration was very busy took nearly 2 hours to get through the line. Picked up the car headed to Playa Del Carmen for a late lunch. I have not been to Playa in years. What a change! Looked like the suburbs, shoot they have a Sams Club now! Had a nice lunch on the beach and headed to Akumal. Akumal far surpassed any expectations we had. Simply beautiful! Our condo was wonderful, overlooked the beach, huge windows, perfect for viewing the blue waters! Dove with Akumal Divers, the diving again surpassed our expectations, not deep but good visibility, fair amount of fish life and with few divers the reefs are in great shape. Dove Chac Mool cenotes for an out of this world experience.
In Akumal we ate at, Turtle Bay Cafe for breakfast, wonderful!, the beach bar on Akumal Bay, good not great, the "Italian Place" whose name I have forgotten but very good, La lunita 2x once not great the last only because we ran out of cash and they accept credit cards, the 2nd time was very good. Our favorite in Akumal though was Buena La Vida, simply the best fish tacos I have ever had.
We went to Tulum 2 times, and the ruins at Cabo (?) we had a car so we did take any tours, and from what I saw was happy that we did not. Driving around was easy, though my husband feels right at home with erratic drivers.
Overall the only thing we would have done different is bring more cash, few places accept credit cards. Very glad we rented a car, I think you really need one. Akumal is a wonderful place filled with great food, great views and some of the friendliest people I have met on vacation. We will go back!
1.ease to and from Denver, 2, cost, 3, diving. That was it, anyplace would do. In about 3 hours I had booked the trip. Airfare non stop from Denver to Cancun on Champion air 250.00 per person with taxes and fess, condo through VRBO, 2 bed 2 bath on Half Moon Bay in Akumal 400 for the week, While we did not need a 2 bedroom the price was right, car rental from Budget 137.00.
Arrived on Wednesday at about noon, immigration was very busy took nearly 2 hours to get through the line. Picked up the car headed to Playa Del Carmen for a late lunch. I have not been to Playa in years. What a change! Looked like the suburbs, shoot they have a Sams Club now! Had a nice lunch on the beach and headed to Akumal. Akumal far surpassed any expectations we had. Simply beautiful! Our condo was wonderful, overlooked the beach, huge windows, perfect for viewing the blue waters! Dove with Akumal Divers, the diving again surpassed our expectations, not deep but good visibility, fair amount of fish life and with few divers the reefs are in great shape. Dove Chac Mool cenotes for an out of this world experience.
In Akumal we ate at, Turtle Bay Cafe for breakfast, wonderful!, the beach bar on Akumal Bay, good not great, the "Italian Place" whose name I have forgotten but very good, La lunita 2x once not great the last only because we ran out of cash and they accept credit cards, the 2nd time was very good. Our favorite in Akumal though was Buena La Vida, simply the best fish tacos I have ever had.
We went to Tulum 2 times, and the ruins at Cabo (?) we had a car so we did take any tours, and from what I saw was happy that we did not. Driving around was easy, though my husband feels right at home with erratic drivers.
Overall the only thing we would have done different is bring more cash, few places accept credit cards. Very glad we rented a car, I think you really need one. Akumal is a wonderful place filled with great food, great views and some of the friendliest people I have met on vacation. We will go back!
Oct 21st, 2004, 10:15 AM
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sorry I keep thinking of things, the snorkeling was amazing in Half Moon Bay. We have been places that touted great snorkeling but it usually is disappointing, we were very pleasantly surprised!
Oct 22nd, 2004, 04:55 PM
#5
Which Akumal are you talking about.?
Were you at the Bahia Pricipe Akumal resort that is very near Tulum?
If so, what was the place like?
Thank you
Percy
Were you at the Bahia Pricipe Akumal resort that is very near Tulum?
If so, what was the place like?
Thank you
Percy
Oct 23rd, 2004, 02:43 AM
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Percy, Coskier is talking about the town of Akumal, not the resort which is close to the town. You can probably find reviews on that resort under tripadvisor.com
Coskier, very nice report. We love Akumal for a nice little break to get away and relax.
I can never remember the name of the Italian place either! It is Que Onda. It's very romantic. Did you try Lol Ha? Sometimes it is a bit hit or miss.
We love La Buena Vida for lunch too. What a great view from their cool bar! I have a crazy picture of my husband with his arm around the lady skeleton at the end of the bar after he drank one too many tequilas!
I would love to have a smoothie from Turtle Bay for breakfast - you have me missing Akumal this morning.
The Coba ruins are very interesting, and I understand they have opened quite a bit more of it since we last went a few years back. Only a small portion of those ruins have been excavated.
I'm sorry you had such a long time to get through customs. It usually only takes a half hour or so. Sounds like you had a nice trip and got good rates on everything!
Coskier, very nice report. We love Akumal for a nice little break to get away and relax.
I can never remember the name of the Italian place either! It is Que Onda. It's very romantic. Did you try Lol Ha? Sometimes it is a bit hit or miss.
We love La Buena Vida for lunch too. What a great view from their cool bar! I have a crazy picture of my husband with his arm around the lady skeleton at the end of the bar after he drank one too many tequilas!
I would love to have a smoothie from Turtle Bay for breakfast - you have me missing Akumal this morning.
The Coba ruins are very interesting, and I understand they have opened quite a bit more of it since we last went a few years back. Only a small portion of those ruins have been excavated.
I'm sorry you had such a long time to get through customs. It usually only takes a half hour or so. Sounds like you had a nice trip and got good rates on everything!
Oct 23rd, 2004, 06:06 AM
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Thanks for the report! I also love to visit the ruins at Coba--I used to like Tulum but can't tolearate the tour buses now!
It saddens me to see what is happening to Playa del Carmen. It seems to be going the way of Cancun (but still not nearly that overbuilt) but does offer a bit more of a touch of Mexico.
It saddens me to see what is happening to Playa del Carmen. It seems to be going the way of Cancun (but still not nearly that overbuilt) but does offer a bit more of a touch of Mexico.
Oct 23rd, 2004, 12:50 PM
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"It saddens me to see what is happening to Playa del Carmen. It seems to be going the way of Cancun (but still not nearly that overbuilt) but does offer a bit more of a touch of Mexico."
Actually what saddens me is to see this recurrent comment made! Of course the type of destination each person wants to go to is a highly subjective issue and is based on many points, and so of course there are those who find Playa del Carmen too developed. But the all too easy comparison to Cancun overlooks significant facts:
-- Cancun is approaching half a million people, 5 times the population of Playa
-- Cancun's hotel zone is full of high-rise hotels, while in Playa the limit is 3 floors, and strict limits are also in place in terms of the number of rooms per square meter for any commercial property
-- Cancun's hotel zone is packed with discos booming their stuff all night long, while in Playa officials circulate with decibel readers and fine clubs that exceed a relatively low limit; clubs also close much earlier here
-- Cancun always features events such as wet T-shirt contests, ladies drink free all night long, Jell-o wrestling and the like, all of which cater to the MTV/spring break crowd, and all of which are prohibited in Playa
-- Cancun's hotel zone is of course divided throughout by 4 lanes of rapidly moving traffic 24 hours a day, whereas Playa's central tourist zone, 5th Avenue, has been cordoned off for pedestrians only throughout, with highly restricted access for necessary vehicles only, and has in fact recently been beautifully repaved
None of these is an opinion about which place is better, but they are all facts about what you'll find in each place. So while Playa may have grown too much for some people's tastes, it is not in line to become another Cancun.
Steve
Actually what saddens me is to see this recurrent comment made! Of course the type of destination each person wants to go to is a highly subjective issue and is based on many points, and so of course there are those who find Playa del Carmen too developed. But the all too easy comparison to Cancun overlooks significant facts:
-- Cancun is approaching half a million people, 5 times the population of Playa
-- Cancun's hotel zone is full of high-rise hotels, while in Playa the limit is 3 floors, and strict limits are also in place in terms of the number of rooms per square meter for any commercial property
-- Cancun's hotel zone is packed with discos booming their stuff all night long, while in Playa officials circulate with decibel readers and fine clubs that exceed a relatively low limit; clubs also close much earlier here
-- Cancun always features events such as wet T-shirt contests, ladies drink free all night long, Jell-o wrestling and the like, all of which cater to the MTV/spring break crowd, and all of which are prohibited in Playa
-- Cancun's hotel zone is of course divided throughout by 4 lanes of rapidly moving traffic 24 hours a day, whereas Playa's central tourist zone, 5th Avenue, has been cordoned off for pedestrians only throughout, with highly restricted access for necessary vehicles only, and has in fact recently been beautifully repaved
None of these is an opinion about which place is better, but they are all facts about what you'll find in each place. So while Playa may have grown too much for some people's tastes, it is not in line to become another Cancun.
Steve
Oct 27th, 2004, 07:11 AM
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Percy, Diana is right the town of Akumal.
Diana, we did eat at Lol Ha 2x, was fine but liked La Buena Vida better.
The Coba ruins were amazing, we walked about 5 miles. We arrived early and for the first hour had the place pretty much to ourselves, then the busses arrived. Lots of folks using the bikes and pedicabs, got a bit busy but since it was just the 2 of us we could easily get away from the crowds.
Pam and Blossom, this is the condo we rented http://www.vrbo.com/2062
the bldg is older but the unit was great. Large deck with great views, a wall of windows, roomy. Really more suited to 2 couples as it has 2 king beds. Had a nice pool though I never went in, spent all the time in the ocean! I think anyplace on half moon would be fine though.
Ryberg, my comments on Playa were my opinion, not to steer people away. For ME I would have been disappointed. The first time I went to Playa I loved it, now it is not for me. Just to big. With the MacDonald's, Sam's Club, car dealerships, I felt like I could have been anywhere. Some people enjoy that kind of familiarity, some do not. To each his own, thankfully or we would all end up in the same place.
Diana, we did eat at Lol Ha 2x, was fine but liked La Buena Vida better.
The Coba ruins were amazing, we walked about 5 miles. We arrived early and for the first hour had the place pretty much to ourselves, then the busses arrived. Lots of folks using the bikes and pedicabs, got a bit busy but since it was just the 2 of us we could easily get away from the crowds.
Pam and Blossom, this is the condo we rented http://www.vrbo.com/2062
the bldg is older but the unit was great. Large deck with great views, a wall of windows, roomy. Really more suited to 2 couples as it has 2 king beds. Had a nice pool though I never went in, spent all the time in the ocean! I think anyplace on half moon would be fine though.
Ryberg, my comments on Playa were my opinion, not to steer people away. For ME I would have been disappointed. The first time I went to Playa I loved it, now it is not for me. Just to big. With the MacDonald's, Sam's Club, car dealerships, I felt like I could have been anywhere. Some people enjoy that kind of familiarity, some do not. To each his own, thankfully or we would all end up in the same place.
Nov 12th, 2004, 05:41 AM
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Agree with Coskier's post. Playa may be for some, just not for me anymore. I, too, am not pleased to see the Sam's Club, McDonalds, auto dealers, etc. True, some people love this--I read some posts from people who love going to Walmart in Cancun! I do think Playa still offers a bit more of the Mexico experience--I give it credit for that!
And, its only natural for Ryberg to come to its defense--he is in the hotel business.
Everyone has their own personal tastes--Playa is no longer mine.
And, its only natural for Ryberg to come to its defense--he is in the hotel business.
Everyone has their own personal tastes--Playa is no longer mine.
Feb 24th, 2005, 07:07 AM
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Thank you Coskier! Please any other pointers or advice for the Akumal area would be appreciated from all. What were your favorite Ruins. Tulum seems the likely choice. Is any of Akumal area of Half Moon Bay good for swimming if you went in with reef shoes? If not where would be the closest swimable beach? I noticed none of the Condo's have Washer and Dryers? Has anyone sent laundry out and how much was it? Did you have mostly Dollars or Pesos or use credit card or alittle of each. What Currency is the best? Thanks Again!!
Mar 5th, 2005, 11:18 AM
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Riggsie,
the penthouse suite at Lol Ka'naab had a laundry room just behind the kitchen. I only did a couple of loads and it was handy having it there but I did have trouble running the washing machine. All the buttons were in Spanish.
the penthouse suite at Lol Ka'naab had a laundry room just behind the kitchen. I only did a couple of loads and it was handy having it there but I did have trouble running the washing machine. All the buttons were in Spanish.
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